A 46-year-old Ingleside woman has been identified after she died when another driver crossed the centerline and struck her car head-on in Kenosha County, as her family says she “will be deeply missed.”
The Bristol Fire & Rescue Department, Pleasant Prairie Fire Department and the Kenosha County Sheriff’s Office responded around 5:21 a.m. on September 22 to the 21200 block of County Highway C, known as Wilmot Road, in Kenosha County, Wisconsin, for a multiple-vehicle crash.
A preliminary investigation showed a Chevrolet HHR, driven by a 19-year-old Genoa City, Wisconsin, man, was traveling eastbound on County Highway C, according to Kenosha County Sheriff’s Office Public Information Officer Lt. Chase Forster.
The HHR crossed the centerline and sideswiped a westbound vehicle, Forster said.
The HHR then collided head-on with another westbound vehicle, a Chevrolet Impala, driven by Denise Kaulfers, 46, of Ingleside.
The HHR and the Impala came to rest in the westbound lanes.
Kaulfers and the 19-year-old man were both trapped in their vehicles and had to be extricated by rescue personnel, Forster said.
Kaulfers was pronounced dead at the scene. The 19-year-old was transported to an area hospital with serious injuries.
Forster said the man is cooperating with investigators.
The driver of the vehicle that was sideswiped was not injured and provided a witness statement.
The joint-agency Major Crash Assistance Team (MCAT) responded to investigate the crash.
The Kenosha County Medical Examiner’s Office also responded to the scene. County Highway C was reopened around 10 a.m.
“Our hearts go out to the family and loved ones of the woman who lost her life in this tragic crash,” Kenosha County Sheriff David Zoerner said.
“I want to thank the deputies, firefighters and rescue personnel who responded to this difficult scene,” Zoerner said.
“We are committed to conducting a thorough investigation to determine the circumstances surrounding this crash,” Zoerner added.
An obituary for Kaulfers said she tried many different jobs over the years but the most impactful one was working and creating pieces with her mother in their specialty fabric shop.
“Throughout her life, she found joy in skills passed down from her mother: sewing and knitting, tending to her garden, and crafting heartfelt meals for others,” the obituary said.
“Above all else, Denise loved her family and cared for them whenever possible. She will be deeply missed,” her family said in the obituary.
Kaulfers leaves behind her father and six siblings, along with many nieces, nephews, extended family and friends.
A visitation is set for 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. Friday at Strang Funeral Home in Antioch with an interment to follow at Ascension Catholic Cemetery in Libertyville.
No citations or charges have been announced and the crash remains under investigation by the Kenosha County Sheriff’s Office.